export-import-commands

name	export-import-commands
description	Export CopyQ Custom Commands to a versionable `.ini` bundle and import them on another machine or after a reinstall. Use when the user wants to back up their CopyQ commands, sync between workstations, or ship a curated bundle as part of a dotfiles repo.

Export / Import CopyQ Commands

CopyQ stores commands in ~/.config/copyq/copyq-commands.ini (or inline within copyq.conf depending on version). Direct file copy works but is fragile across versions — prefer the official export/import path.

Export all commands

GUI: Preferences → Commands → Save Commands… → save as .ini.

CLI:

copyq exportCommands > ~/copyq-commands.ini

This produces a single .ini snippet with one [Commands] section. Safe to commit to a dotfiles repo.

Export a single command

exportCommands dumps all of them. To slice a single command, parse the resulting .ini and keep only the matching N\ block plus a size=1 line. Or use the GUI: Preferences → Commands → select one → right-click → Export….

Import

GUI: Preferences → Commands → Load Commands… → pick the .ini. Appends to existing commands; duplicates are not deduped.

CLI:

copyq loadCommands "$(cat ~/copyq-commands.ini)"

To replace rather than append: clear existing first via the GUI (select all → delete), or via:

copyq eval -- '
    var n = commands().length;
    setCommands([]);
'
copyq loadCommands "$(cat ~/copyq-commands.ini)"

Versioning workflow

Recommended dotfiles layout:

~/repos/dotfiles/copyq/
├── commands.ini              # canonical bundle
└── README.md

Sync workflow:

# Pull from CopyQ → repo
copyq exportCommands > ~/repos/dotfiles/copyq/commands.ini
cd ~/repos/dotfiles && git add copyq && git commit -m "Update CopyQ commands"

# Apply repo → CopyQ on another machine
copyq loadCommands "$(cat ~/repos/dotfiles/copyq/commands.ini)"

What gets exported

• All Custom Commands (Automatic, In-Menu, Global Shortcut, Display).
• Their full body, matchers, shortcuts, icons, and ordering.

What does NOT get exported

• General preferences (history depth, tray behaviour, theme) — those live in copyq.conf.
• Tab contents (clipboard history items).
• Pinned items.

To back those up too, also copy ~/.config/copyq/copyq.conf and (if needed) the per-tab data files in ~/.local/share/copyq/.

Safe round-trip test

After authoring or modifying commands, verify export/import works before relying on the bundle:

copyq exportCommands > /tmp/before.ini
# clear and reimport
copyq eval -- 'setCommands([])'
copyq loadCommands "$(cat /tmp/before.ini)"
copyq exportCommands > /tmp/after.ini
diff /tmp/before.ini /tmp/after.ini    # should be empty (or trivial reordering)

If diff shows substantive differences, the bundle has fields CopyQ silently dropped on import — usually due to version skew. Pin the CopyQ version across machines to avoid this.